The 2016 NBA Draft lottery was held on Tuesday night and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we intend to do with a series of polls.
With the first few picks out of the way, things have begun to get interesting. We’ll continue with the Timberwolves, who are looking to add pieces to their young core. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Minnesota’s pick and check back Wednesday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Pelicans will select with the No. 6 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 5 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Previous Selections
- Sixers — Ben Simmons (LSU)
- Lakers — Brandon Ingram (Duke)
- Celtics — Dragan Bender (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
- Suns — Jaylen Brown (California)
Ellenson might not be a bad choice. I don’t know much about him outside of him being a stretch four, but he would seem to pair nicely with Towns. If not Ellenson, Dunn or Murray might not be a bad second choice. While they have point guards, drafting one of those two would allow them to shop Tyus Jones or Rubio.
I’d take Chriss over Ellenson. Much higher upside. But Wolves are likely going to go for backcourt help. Hield or Dunn will be the pick here,
I like Chriss too, and think he would be a great option to trade back for. Nuggets?
Ellenson really isn’t as much of a stretch 4 as everyone makes him out to be. His percentages are actually pretty bad out there. I prefer Dieng over him at the 4.
Jamal Murray.
I would love for Bender to fall to this spot, (Celtics trade for Okafor, Suns take Brown) but in this scenario, he doesn’t. So I have to go Murray. Could be perfect for a 3 guard rotation with Rubio and LaVine as the starters. Murray can handle the ball, run the offense, hit threes and would be great as sixth or seventh man. Would really limit things for Tyus, but with Bender off the board, I think this would be the right choice if they aren’t going to trade back or out. I like Hield, but he doesn’t have the positional versatility that would be necessary to get minutes on this team. I’m all in on Rubio and LaVine and don’t want their minutes cut. I really like Dunn too, but I like Rubio more. I don’t think Dunn would be able to run this team anywhere near as well as Rubio, even in the future. Rubio’s percentages will be up next season, at least his threes will. They don’t need another scorer at the point with all the others in the starting line up. RANT OVER. Take Murray.
I fully expect the Wolves to trade this pick for a later first and a young veteran combo guard or a stretch four if they can find one.
All I want for Thanksgiving is a #Buddyball. Instant offense, great athlete, ice in his veins a la Lillard. Great boost off the bench, or filling in if LaVine has an off night.